Adjustable back-brush for bath-tubs.



PATENTED MAY 1, 1906.

J. W. BEDFORD, JR.

ADJUSTABLE BACK BRUSH FOR BATH TUBS.

APPLIGATION FILED APE.15, 1905.

ummunmfllflllllllllllllllllillllIllA Wm W Wal amnntoz JEFFERSON 1V. BEDFORD, JR, OF OMAHA, NEBRASKA.

ADJUSTABLE BACK-BRUSH FOR BATH-TUBS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented May 1, 1906.

Application filed April 15,1906. Serial No. 255.835;-

To (NZ whmn it may concern:

Be it known that I, JEFFERSON 1N. BED- FORD, Jr., a citizen of the United States, residing at Omaha, in the county of Douglas and State of Xebraska, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Ad justable Back-Brushes for Bath-Tubs, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to improvements in adjustable back-brushes for bath-tubs; and my object is to provide an apparatus which will be of assistance to a person while bathing. 1

It is well known that a person while at the bath can reach the upper posterior portions of the body only with great difliculty, and among elderly persons, where stillness of the arms is common, it is quite impossible; but this dilliculty is readily overcome by use of my invention, and it also serves as a suitable back-support while maintaining a reclining position in taking the bath.

My invention consists'in a suitable bathing-brush which can be adjusted in a fixed position upon and within a bath-tub, so that a person while in the act of bathing by moving the back against the brush may thereby effect the desired rubbing or manipulation of that part of the body.

It also consists of an apparatus so arranged and constructed that it may be readily attached to or detached from the bathtub, and of a practical rubbing-brush which may be adjusted to any desired height upon its supporting-ari'ns or inclined to any suitable degree and maintained rigid in a chosen position while in use and when not in use may be foldably disposed so as to occupy a reduced space.

With these objects in view my invention presents novel features of construction and arrangement of parts substantially as described herein and illustrated by the drawings, in which- Figure 1 is a perspective view of my invention, showing the back of the brush, its means for locking rigidly upon its supporting-arms, and means for support upon the bathing-tub. Fig. 2 is a vertical sectional top view of Fig. 1, illustrating the same bisected upon the plane a; as; and Fig. 3 is a detail of Fig. 2, showing position of the eccentric.

In Fig. 1, which illustrates my complete invention, I employ a pair of hooking-bars 1 and 1, whose curved extremities 2 2 are formed with a view of fitting upon the oval rim generally found upon the upper portion of a bath-tub and are adapted to sustain a considerable weight, and they are gradually curved and flattened toward their extremities to be elastic, so as to be conveniently pressed over the oval rim of the bath-tub, and preferably are connected at their extremities by the bar 3, and I employ the spreading-screw 19 thereon to cause a secure support upon theoval top portion of the bath-tub. The opposite ends of the hooking-bars terminate in the formation of one half of the hinge 4. 1 construct the supportingarms 5 5, and one end of each of these arms also terminate to form the other half of said hinge. Each of these arms is constructed with an extended longitudinal opening or slot 15, the end farthest from the hinge forming a loop 6, both arms being of the same length and to be in vertical alinement with the hooking-bars, and these arms are adapted to be freely swung at will from the horizontal position (shown in Fig. 1) to a position backward upon and above the hooking-bars 1 and 1.

The brush-frame is composed of the inclosing members 7 7 and the rectangularlyshaped supporting member 8, made integral therewith by means of the connectingbrackets 9 and 9; but since the faces of the inclosing members and supporting members do not contact, but are spaced apart upon adjacent planes, alongitudinal opening or slotlO is formed along their lengthwise positions, these openings being equal in length to the distance between the brackets 9 and 9.

I construct and longitudinally dispose the compressing-bar 11 through the openings of the intersecting slots 10 and 15. Upon one end of the bar I employ the cap 12, which has a bearing upon the outer faces of the loop of the arm 5, and upon the opposite end of the compressing-bar is pivotally hung the eccentric 14, which has a bearing upon the faces of the arm 5, and the diameter of the com pressing bar is such that the movement lengthwise of the brush-frame is not impeded and this range of movement may be at any chosen distance or position from 9 to 9.

The rubbing-brush 16 is mounted within the inclosing members 7 7, the tongues 17 fitting within the grooves 18 of the inclosing members and being thus slidably mounted within the inclosing members the brush may be readily removed and replaced as desired.

It is evident that since the brush-frame hangs somewhat loosely upon the compressing bar it may be adjusted at will to a higher or lower altitude while traveling in the slots 10, also that the brush-frame may be inclined so as to be in horizontal alinement with the supporting-arms 5 and 5, at which time the arms 5 and 5 may be raised and swung backward, so that these parts will then occupy a position above the supporting-hooks; This is a desired disposition of these parts when not in use, since it affords economy of space; but when my invention is in use it occupies the position as shown in Fig. 1 at which time the brush-frame is inclined at a suitable angle and altitude, the eccentric 14 being in the position shown in Fig. 3. If now the eccentric is moved by means of its lever 20 in a lateral direction until the lever lies alongside of the supporting-arm 5, as shown, Figs. 1 and 2, this movement of the eccentric will cause the compressing-bar 11 to be drawn in a direction from the arm 5 toward the arm 5, thereby causing a compression of the arms upon the brush-frame and causing the latter to became rigidly disposed upon the arms in the exact position as to altitude and inclination which had been chosen.

In my construction the loops 6 and the ends of the arms 5 and 5 have their frictional bearings upon a part of the inclosing members and upon the supporting members at the time the eccentric causes the compression of these parts, and by these means the brush-frame can be rigidly positioned in any degree of slant or altitude and is adapted to be readily changed at will, and by reason of my means of construction the entire apparatus may be readily placed upon a bath-tub or removed therefrom at will, or is foldable whenever desired.

It is obvious that a single hooking-bar may be substituted in lieu of the bars 1 and 1 and that various minor details of construction which I employ may be varied without changing the scope of my invention, and I do not limit myself eXcept by my claims.

Vhat I claim as my invention, and wish to secure by Letters Patent, is the following:

1. A brush of the class described, in combination with engaging means upon a bath-tub; a compressionbar, and brushsupporting arms; said brush being slidably mounted upon the compression-bar and adapted to have aswinging movement thereon; the com pression-bar mounted upon the brush-supporting arms; and means to cause a compression of the brush with the brush-supporting arms 2. A brush of the class described, in combination. with engaging means up on a bath-tub; a hinge part; a compression-bar and brushsupporting arms; said brush being slidably mounted upon the compression bar and adapted to have a swinging movement thereon; the compression-bar mounted upon the brush-supporting arms; means to cause a compression of the brush with the brush-supporting arms; the hinge part forming a connection between the engaging means upon the bath-tub and the brush-supporting arms.

3. A brush of the class described,in combination with engaging means upon a bath-tub; a brush-frame a hinge member; a compression-bar and brush-supporting arms; said brush being mounted within said brushframe; said brush-frame being slidably mounted upon the compression bar and adapted to have a swinging movement thereon; said compression-bar mounted upon the brush-supporting arms; means to cause a compression of the brush-frame with the brush-supporting arms; said hinge member forming a connection between the engaging means upon the bathtub and the brush-supporting arms.

1. A new article of manufacture for the purpose mentioned, in combination with engaging means upon a bath-tub; a brush; a brush-frame; a hinge member; a compression-bar; and brush-supporting arms; said brush-frame having parallel and integrallymounted sliding bars; said brush mounted within said brush-frame; said parallel and integrally-mounted sliding bars of said brushframe mounted upon said compression-bar and adapted to have a swinging movement thereon; said compression-bar mounted upon said brush-supporting arms; means to cause a compression of the sliding bars of the brushframe with the brush-supporting arms; said hinge member forming a connection between the engaging means upon the bath-tub and the brush-supporting arms.

5. A new article ofmanufacture for the purpose mentioned; in combination with engaging means upon a bath-tub; a brush; a brush-frame; a hinge member; a compression-bar; and brush-supporting arms; said brush-frame having parallel and integrallymounted sliding bars; said brush mounted Within said brushframe said parallel and integrally-mounted sliding bars of said brushframe mounted upon said compression-bar and adapted to have a swinging movement thereon; said compression-bar mounted upon said brush-supporting arms; means to cause a compression of the sliding bars of the brushframe with the brush-supporting arms; said hinge member forming a connection between the engaging means upon the bathtub and the brush-supporting arms; said brush being removable from said brush-frame, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I affiX my signature in presence of two witnesses.

JEFFERSON W. BEDFORDAJR.

Witnesses:

ARTHUR STUReEs, LoUIs FRIES. 

